Pike and Perch in an Aquaruim 1910 - 1920

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof made this painting of pike and perch, sometime around the turn of the last century, with oils probably. Looking at this underwater scene, you can feel the paint, thin layers of green and brown, blurring the fish and rocks in the aquarium. I can imagine Dijsselhof, peering into the murky depths, trying to capture the strange light and movement. Did he feel a kinship with those creatures, suspended in their watery world? The way he's dabbed the paint, it's almost like he's recreating the play of light on the water's surface. See how those dark stripes on the perch vibrate? It reminds me of Bonnard, how he used color to capture a feeling, a fleeting moment. You can see how artists, even when painting different subjects, are always in conversation with each other, riffing on ideas, pushing the boundaries of what paint can do. It's like a never-ending game of telephone, with each artist adding their own twist.